Worst Canned Foods

While certain canned foods can be a good source of protein, carbs, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, there are a whole host of negative properties out that come in a convenient canned form. A wide range of preservatives are packed into tins to make sure food retains its color, flavor and even shape. The most prominent and widely used of these is sodium, which makes up the sodium part of sodium chloride, aka regular table salt. Salt is a traditional preserver and has been used for thousands of years to stop food from going bad, but nowadays it’s more frequently used as a flavor enhancer and is hidden in a variety of different foods. Read on for the worst canned foods, including the temptingly named ”canned meat food product.” Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Canned jalapenos

You wouldn’t think chilies, typically a food with great health benefits (including improved circulation and libido), would be so laden with sodium, but they actually rank as one of the highest sodium foods that you can find — and one of the worst canned foods. Really, there’s no excuse to go for a canned version in this instance, given how readily available jalapenos are fresh. To get a bit of that preserved, pickled flavor, simply slice fresh jalapenos and cover with rice vinegar, white vinegar or white wine vinegar for a few hours (or overnight) and then add to your dish. You’ll never buy canned again.

Canned chicken-noodle soup

Chicken soup might have been your convalescing meal of choice when you were young. It was gentle, warming and nourishing, but as is so often the case, this low-fat, low-sugar food has become quite different in the age of “lowest price wins.” As a nutritional choice, it might seem ideal given that its makeup is proportionally representative of what the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) suggest your daily intake of carbs, protein and fats is. But hidden under the surface lies a health hazard: a lot of sodium. The CNPP suggests a maximum of 2,400 mg of sodium per day, and the American Heart Association suggests even less at 1,500 mg. A single can of chicken-noodle soup can pack over 1,800 mg of sodium — 75% of your RDI, even by generous estimates. Your best bet? Make it at home and freeze it for later use. Try Simon Majumdar's chicken soup recipe for an ultra-healthy Asian-inspired dish.

Canned peas

The humble and versatile pea is rarely seen fresh because of its short shelf life. It’s also in relatively low demand as a fresh product (it’s actually far better for the health-conscious guy to buy frozen). This is due to the fact that they’re flash frozen within hours of being picked and, as such, almost all the nutrients and minerals are locked in. When the fresh ones sit on the shelf at your local store, the longer they remain there, the more the good stuff leeches out. Avoid canned — there’s absolutely no point given how brilliant a frozen product they are. One cup of canned peas contains between a quarter and a third of your RDI of sodium and virtually all of the nutrients and vitamins are destroyed by the long, high temperature cooking process they go through before hitting the tin.